The one thing I have noticed over the last year since I started on dating sites has been the abundance of deceptive or non-photos attached to women's profiles.

Ladies... while I am very understanding of the consciousness of how you feel about your looks, it bewilders me as to why you would even expect to meet a man online when you post images that either have no clarity or even pictures of your pets or foreign landscapes? Recently I came across a profile with photographs of the back of a woman�s head... all five of them! What is this woman thinking? How do you expect to get any response when you can't even show your true self? The game is two sided and while you think that you should be the one to make a choice on what is appealing to you, this doesn�t apply to the man who is viewing your profile. I have heard the classic lines... "I don�t put my picture up because I have a reputation to protect.", or "I attract too many weirdo�s because I am a good looking woman." These excuses generally don�t fly with most guys and are prone to pass you up simply because they don�t want to take a chance based alone on just what you written about yourself. Now I must add that in some cases many women who do not show their photos and for good reasons, might be willing to email them to those that request so, but the theory still remains that more than likely the chances of the being contacted are much slimer under these circumstances.

Gentlemen... Although my observation is from the viewpoint of a man and since you will never finding me looking at a man's profile, these thoughts should still also apply to you as well. In their defense. I have found that many women have a hard time putting themselves out there when there are so many men that make choices based on looks or are looking for for an easy way in without having to make a valid effort. Please take this in mind that this can go both ways.

The object of a dating site is to meet someone that you are compatible with. But physical attraction is the key. This is most ALWAYS going to be the first part of the formula for any kind of connection. It can be very discouraging to men (as I am one of them and I feel I can speak for most of us) when they come across a profile that in the mist may be composed with the most eloquence, but because you have either posted no photo, or a photo that is blurry and obscure, or some mundane object, it is an immediate red flag.

We now live in a world of technology and instant gratification where deception is a common thread in our everyday lives.... Everything from Nigerian love scams to Russian mail order brides. It's hard enough for decent people to filter through the crap hoping to find that one true soul that will fulfill the void in their lives. So why add to the pile of garbage by being vague and ambiguous about your true physical being? By misrepresenting your appearance and in many cases, your persona, you are only setting yourself up for a big letdown in the long run.

We all have expectations of what we want in a partner. It is only human nature and it should not necessarily be perceived and being "shallow." Disappointment comes from within when we raise these expectations higher than common sense would have, and because of this attitude, we find ourselves chasing our tails in a vicious circle over and over again.

So in summary, you need to be honest with yourself before you consider the alternatives when posting your profile with fallacious or deceptive photographs, if even none at all. Just remember that a photograph is usually looked at, but seldom looked into....